PIX: A rail route that connects Jammu and Kashmir

PIX: A rail route that connects Jammu and Kashmir

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday flagged off the first train connecting Banihal in Jammu region with Qazigund in the Kashmir Valley.

PIX: A rail route that connects Jammu and Kashmir

The 18-km train journey from Banihal to Qazigund reduces the distance between the two towns by nearly half. The Banihal-Qazigund rail section includes an 11-km long tunnel, the country's longest, built at a cost of Rs 1,691 crore.